Rink Rap | A New York Rangers Podcast from Forever Blueshirts

Dylan Garand cleared waivers Monday and is headed back to the Hartford Wolfpack for a fifth season. Jim Cerny explains why the decision was made the day Chris Drury traded for Joonas Korpisalo on July 1, and why losing Garand would have left Spencer Martin as the next goalie up behind Igor Shesterkin.

Also in this episode:
- The three goalies who did get claimed: Clay Stevenson (Winnipeg), Levi Merilainen (Vancouver) and Poirier (New Jersey)
- How Garand handles going back to Hartford after saying he didn't plan to
- Albert Schmitz makes the team and debuts Tuesday
- Scott Morrow vs. Matthew Robertson for the extra defenseman spot
- Taylor Raddysh clears waivers, and Matt Rempe is in the lineup on opening night

The Rangers open the 2026-27 season Tuesday night in Boston against the Bruins on ESPN.

Read the full season preview and staff predictions at Forever Blueshirts.

Chapters:
00:00 Opening night is here
00:17 Garand and Raddysh clear waivers
(01:41) Why the Korpisalo trade decided it
(02:50) Drury and the veteran backup pattern
(04:01) Sullivan's "difficult decision"
(05:42) The goalies who got claimed
(08:11) Why losing Garand would have hurt
(09:19) Is Korpisalo the right No. 2?
(11:01) Best-case scenario for the Rangers
(12:15) How does Garand respond?
(16:41) Albert Schmitz makes the team
(18:02) Morrow, Robertson and the extra D
(19:39) Rempe in, opening night lineup
(20:17) Wrap and season preview

Follow Rink Rap so you don't miss an episode.

The Rangers are two preseason games into a short camp. Opening night against Boston is next Tuesday, and Jim Cerny runs through who's up and who's down.

Adam Sykora will miss 4-5 months with a lower-body injury from Monday's game against the Devils. Jim didn't see a path for Sykora to the opening-night roster, but his energy and leadership will be missed in Hartford. The upside is depth. Eeli Tolvanen joins the bottom six, and Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin are pushing from the AHL.

Alberts Smits is the story of camp. The No. 5 overall pick has skated with the NHL group and alongside Braden Schneider every day. After his poised preseason debut against the Islanders, Jim thinks he has the inside track. Jim also covers:

• Where Smits' arrival leaves Matthew Robertson, Drew Fortescue and Scott Morrow
• What Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson change on the second pair
• The last fourth-line spot, between Taylor Raddysh, Matt Rempe and Jaroslav Chmelar
• Whether the Rangers carry three goalies to protect Dylan Garand
• Why Pavel Dorofeyev might be the Rangers' first true sniper since Marian Gaborik, and a J.T. Miller who looks energized

Plus updates on former Rangers Brennan Othmann, Jonny Brodzinski, Carson Soucy and Cam Talbot.

Coming up: Rink Rap is recording at Mustang Harry's near Madison Square Garden to kick off the season. Watch Forever Blueshirts on X for details, and read more at ForeverBlueshirts.com.

Jim Cerny is joined by Russ Cohen of Sportsology and NHL Prospects Radio to break down the Rangers' rookie series against the Philadelphia Flyers.

They cover Alberts Smits' two-game showing as the Rangers' No. 5 overall pick, Drew Fortescue playing his off side on defense, Dylan Roobroeck's physical bounce-back performance, and the development of Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin. They also dig into the goaltending, with both Danai Shaiikov and Callum Tung standing out, plus the chemistry between Adam Sykora and Tomas Chrenko. The guys wrap with a look ahead to what to watch at Rangers training camp.

Chapters:
 0:00 Intro and Rangers-Flyers rookie series recap
 0:55 Russ Cohen joins the show
 5:39 Big-picture overview of the rookie series
 7:21 Alberts Smits breakdown
 13:52 Drew Fortescue playing his off side
 17:14 Dylan Roobroeck's bounce-back game
 19:44 Cole Beaudoin update and injury note
 24:00 Rangers' need for top-six skill
 26:49 Liam Greentree's two-way game
 29:51 Adam Sykora and Tomas Chrenko chemistry
 33:56 2026 draft class overview
 39:36 Goaltending: Danai Shaiikov and Callum Tung
 43:34 Looking ahead to Rangers training camp

Follow more Rangers coverage at foreverblueshirts.com and follow Russ Cohen's work at Sportsology and NHL Prospects Radio.

This is the Rink Rap podcast, part of the Forever Blueshirts network.

Hockey is back, and Jim Cerny is rolling into rookie camp week on Rink Rap from Forever Blueshirts.

The Rangers rookies play the Flyers on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. at PPL Center in Allentown. Cerny previews the first look at No. 5 pick Alberts Smits, Tomas Chrenko’s next step, Liam Greentree’s first Rangers sweater, and whether Cole Beaudoin can pull a Noah Laba and crash opening night.

Then it’s the roster questions that will follow this team into training camp: Eeli Tolvanen’s one-year fit next to Laba and Will Cuylle, why some fans want Cuylle in the top six with J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev, where Oliver Bjorkstrand lands, and why a Mika Zibanejad slump would be New York’s worst-case scenario after Vincent Trocheck’s departure.

Read the latest at ForeverBlueshirts.com

Jim on X: @JimCerny

Forever Blueshirts on X: @ForeverBluShirt

Chapters
0:00 Welcome to Rink Rap
0:47 More on Eeli Tolvanen
1:33 Rookie camp and Allentown schedule
2:29 First look at Alberts Smits
4:01 Ivy League polo and ESPN+
6:04 Johnny Lazarus and the Ranger tie
6:56 Why the Rangers delayed the rookie roster
9:15 Tomas Chrenko watch
11:58 Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin
12:40 Can Beaudoin pull a Noah Laba?
16:18 Nathan Aspinall and the next wave
17:32 Tolvanen deep dive with Rob Simpson
23:20 Cuylle, Laba and Tolvanen on the third line
23:41 Should Will Cuylle play in the top six?
25:52 Cuylle with J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev
27:00 Keeping Zibanejad, Lafrenière and Perreault together
28:08 Oliver Bjorkstrand’s role
32:54 Mika Zibanejad worst-case scenario
38:37 Weekend games, training camp and the Boston opener

September hockey is finally here. On this edition of the Rink Rap Podcast, Jim Cerny digs into the Rangers' latest offseason move: the one-year, $1.5 million signing of winger Eeli Tolvanen. Jim explains why Chris Drury waiting out a market that never developed for Tolvanen worked in the Rangers' favor, and why a rough underlying-numbers season in Seattle shouldn't scare fans off a player who's scored 23 goals and 41 points in a single season before.

Jim breaks down how Tolvanen slots into a projected third line with Will Cujo and Noah Laba, how the signing pushes Ty Cartier down to a much-improved fourth line, and why these short, affordable one-year deals (Tolvanen, Bjorkstrand, Veleno) are smart, low-risk business for a Rangers team still searching for top-end firepower. He also responds to fan criticism from both sides — those who think he's "drinking the Kool-Aid" and those who call him a "hater" — and lays out where he really stands on the Rangers' chances this season.

Plus: a preview of rookie camp and the Rangers-Flyers rookie games kicking off next week, the first-year prospects to watch (Liam Greentree, Nathan Aspinall, Cole Beaudoin, Malcolm Spence), and why only four preseason games this year means fewer chances to evaluate the kids. Jim wraps with a Labor Day sign-off and a look ahead to training camp.

Subscribe and follow along all season at ForeverBlueShirts.com, and follow Jim Cerny on X and Facebook @ForeverBlueShirts.

Timecodes

0:00 – Intro: hockey is back in September
 1:59 – Housekeeping: shorter show, thanks for the support
 4:57 – Rangers sign Eeli Tolvanen (1 year, $1.5M)
 7:07 – Why Tolvanen's market never developed
 9:23 – Tarasenko comparison and why he's not the right fit
 9:52 – Projected third line: Cooley, Laba, Tolvanen
 11:31 – Tolvanen's rough 2025-26 analytics explained
 15:36 – Why one-year "bounce-back" deals make sense 
 19:16 – Addressing fan pushback: "Kool-Aid" vs. "hater" criticism
 25:11 – Where the Rangers stack up in the Metro/Atlantic
 28:22 – Rookie camp and prospects to watch next week
 34:11 – Preseason format change: only 4 games this year
 39:04 – Labor Day sign-off and what's coming next week

Jim Cerny is back from a week off and welcomes Dan D'Uva, the radio voice of the Vegas Golden Knights, for an in-depth look at the Pavel Dorofeyev trade. D'Uva breaks down why Vegas moved on from their leading goal scorer, what he brings to a Rangers lineup starved for scoring, how he compares to guys like Nikita Kucherov in adjusting to a new language and market, and whether he can produce without setups from Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. Along the way, Jim and Dan swap stories about broadcast booths and arenas around the league (catwalks, gondolas, and the infamous Johnstown press box), and Dan reflects on growing up a Devils fan in Jersey, chasing Doc Emrick and Mike Miller with a tape recorder, and how the 1994 Rangers-Devils series shaped his hockey fandom.

Chapters:

00:00 – Cold open / intro
 00:15 – Jim welcomes listeners back from vacation, brings on Dan Duva
 00:48 – Dan Duva introduced, voice of the Vegas Golden Knights
 01:02 – Jim's Canadian Rockies trip and the new Calgary arena
 01:45 – Catwalk vs. no-catwalk broadcast booths
 02:35 – Ranking arenas by broadcast position (Islanders, old vs. new buildings)
 04:16 – Edmonton's gondola/press bridge that never got built
 04:56 – T-Mobile Arena vs. Little Caesars Arena, hopes for new Calgary arena
 04:57 (5:00ish) – Saddledome and the gondola view of warmups
 05:31 – Johnstown, PA and the Slap Shot broadcast booth story
 06:59 – Wrapping up the arena talk, back to hockey
 07:12 – Dan's Jersey/Devils roots growing up in Nutley
 08:22 – The 1994 Rangers-Devils series and Stefan Matteau/Seinfeld reference
 09:11 – The '95 lockout and Devils' Stanley Cup win
 09:39 – Broadcasting practice tapes as a teenager, Ridgewood high school hockey
 10:22 – Pestering Devils broadcasters (Mike Miller, Randy Velischek, Chico Resch)
 14:52 – Transition into the Pavel Dorofeyev trade discussion
 15:36 – Did Duva see the trade coming / draft-day reaction
 17:01 – Salary cap situation and why Vegas moved on from Dorofeyev
 19:22 – Dorofeyev's power play production and Viktor Olofsson's arrival
 21:16 – Playoff scoring surge and comparison to Brett Howden
 23:33 – White House visit story and Dorofeyevs drive to be a champion
 26:00 – Comparing Dorofeyev to Nikita Kucherov's English/language journey
 30:00 – Ivan Barbashev's influence and personality contrast
 33:00 – Igor Shesterkin comparison and "I don't speak English" bit
 34:33 – What Dorofeyev brings on the power play and even strength
 36:35 – Can Dorofeyev be trusted in all situations (Mike Sullivan's demands)
 42:39 – John Tortorella's role in Dorofeev's late-season push
 47:54 – Whether Dorofeyev needs elite setup men (Eichel/Marner) to produce
 52:17 – Reily Smith's "buy stock in Dorofeyev" story
 56:17 – Handling the pressure of a big Rangers contract and market
 1:00:20 – Comparing Dorofeyev's stage experience to Jack Eichel's Vegas arrival
 1:03:23 – Ryan Craig named new Golden Knights head coach, background
 1:05:10 – John Tortorella's arrival in Vegas, building early rapport
 1:07:00 – The Cape Cod/Maine connection that broke the ice with Tortorella
 1:11:16 – What Tortorella hates: the "non-question question"
 1:16:33 – How Tortorella made Duva a better interviewer, contrast with Bruce Cassidy
 1:20:33 – Tortorella's return to MSG and the "family" story with Jim's son
 1:23:24 – Carter Hart's relationship with Tortorella from Philadelphia
 1:25:57 – Closing thanks and sign-off

It's the dog days of August, but Jim Cerny isn't taking a week off. Flying solo this week (with a Banff vacation on the horizon), Cerny opens with a personal story from his early broadcasting days with the Islanders before diving into the meat of the show: a full breakdown of the Rangers' training camp roster crunch.

With only four preseason games this year, Cerny explains why fans shouldn't panic if top prospects don't make the opening night roster. Using Noah Laba's 2024 breakthrough as a blueprint, he walks through the cases of Liam Greentree, EJ Emery, Albert Schmidt, and Adam Sykora, and explains how waiver exemptions and one-year "placeholder" veteran signings like Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joey Velleno give the organization flexibility to develop young players on their own timeline rather than forcing them onto the NHL roster too early.

He also digs into Matt Rempe's path back after a season disrupted by a hand injury, why Rempe (not being waiver-exempt) has an edge in the fourth-line battle, and how the bottom six could shake out among Rempe, Sykora, Tychonick, and Taylor Raddish.

The show closes with a look at the growing fan chatter around "tanking" for a shot at Connor McDavid in 2028 free agency, why Cerny thinks that's a flawed long-term strategy, but also why the dream isn't entirely unrealistic given McDavid's age, cap trajectory, and history of taking less money to stay competitive.

Chapters:

0:00 — Intro, solo show, Michael Del Zotto teaser for a future episode

3:00 — Banff trip teaser and a throwback Calgary story from Cerny's Islanders broadcasting days

13:45 — Training camp overview: four preseason games, September 29 opener

14:20 — Why it's OK if Greentree, Bodwin, or Schmidt don't make the opening roster

15:00 — The Noah Laba blueprint: how he earned his spot last year

19:00 — Fewer preseason games means tougher, faster decisions this year

22:00 — Oliver Bjorkstrand signing as a "placeholder" veteran option

27:30 — The Matt Rempe question: fourth-line spot, waiver status, and his under-the-radar offseason

38:30 — Battle for the final bottom-six/13th forward spot: Sykora, Tychonick, Rempe

41:00 — Albert Schmidt and the case for patience with 18-year-old prospects

46:15 — Fan chatter: should the Rangers "tread water" for Connor McDavid in 2028?

52:00 — Cap math on what a McDavid contract could look like in 2028

Hart Levine, founder of PuckPedia, joins Jim Cerny on the Rink Rap podcast to break down the rapidly rising NHL salary cap, the evolving free-agency market, the real impact of offer sheets, and the New York Rangers’ critical upcoming decisions on Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, and Braden Schneider.

They also dig into the Pavel Dorofeyev contract, why teams are shifting toward shorter deals, how the end of the flat-cap era is changing player leverage, and the danger of the “mushy middle” for the Rangers as they try to retool.

If you care about Rangers cap strategy, NHL contracts, offer sheets, or the future of free agency, this is essential listening.

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
0:48 – Hart Levine joins
1:39 – Origin story of PuckPedia (2018)
3:16 – How the site exploded after the competition folded
5:38 – “Welcome to the league” moments & recognition from teams/agents
11:22 – Wild offseason & free-agency trends with the rising cap
16:41 – Offer sheets: Carlsson, Hayton, threats vs. actual deals
21:00 – Rangers’ big decisions: Perreault, Cuylle, Schneider
32:04 – Pavel Dorofeyev’s 7-year, $11M deal analyzed
36:00 – Avoiding the mushy middle & Rangers’ path forward

Subscribe for more New York Rangers analysis, NHL cap talk, and interviews. Follow PuckPedia for the latest contract data and tools.

Jim Cerny sits down with Dan Kingerski (Pittsburgh Hockey Now) to talk through the Rangers' trade for Marcus Pettersson and why he could be the steadiest, most poised defenseman the team has had in years. They swap old Rangers-Penguins war stories, unpack Mike Sullivan's complicated reputation with young players, and talk about how new Penguins coach Dan Muse turned the room around last year — including getting the best out of Erik Karlsson. They close with a Metro Division preview and early playoff predictions ahead of training camp.

Chapters:
 0:57 – Meet Dan Kingerski
 1:18 – Old Rangers-Penguins rivalry stories
 6:16 – The Marcus Pettersson trade, explained
 11:04 – Why the Rangers needed this defensive pairing
 16:47 – Rangers' speed and identity issues
 20:14 – Sullivan and young players
 23:00 – Dan Muse's culture reset in Pittsburgh
 27:08 – Metro Division predictions
 33:16 – Florida's playoff pressure
 35:30 – Wrap-up and a Toronto pronunciation bit

Russ Cohen of NHL Network Radio joins Rink Rap to break down the Rangers' prospect pipeline — his specialty — and doesn't hold back. Cohen explains why he thinks the Rangers "compromised down the middle" in the Vincent Trocheck trade, why he's not sold on Noah Laba as a third-line center replacement, and why center prospect Cole Beaudoin might be the best piece of the return package, even with Sean Durzi in the mix. He also digs into Alexis Lafreniere's evolution into a "different player," caps his ceiling at 60 points, makes the case for tempering expectations on Gabe Perreault despite his top-6 upside as a line driver and line builder, and previews top prospects Liam Greentree and Alberts Smits. Russ closes with his Metropolitan Division predictions for 2026-27.

Chapters:

00:00 — Intro
 00:15 — Welcome & guest intro: Russ Cohen (Sportsology/NHL Network Radio
 1:22 — Mets talk (off-topic tangent)
 2:39 — Into the NHL offseason
 2:52 — Jason Robertson's one-year deal with Dallas
 7:03 — Flyers' offer sheet for Carlson & rising agent power
 8:42 — Vincent Trocheck trade: Rangers "compromised down the middle"
 10:51 — Can Noah Laba replace Trocheck at 3rd-line center?
 12:35 — Trocheck return package: Sean Durzi & Cole Beaudoin
 16:09 — Alexis Lafreniere's evolution & point ceiling
 18:03 — The Gabe Perreault debate (Pronman vs. Wheeler)
 31:18 — Rangers' prospect philosophy: character over skill
 32:11 — Liam Greentree breakdown
 33:27 — Alberts Smits breakdown
 34:59 — Should Smits start in Hartford or the NHL?
 39:05 — Metro Division parity & playoff picture
 48:05 — Final Metro Division predictions
 52:49 — Wrap-up & where to find Russ Cohen